I feel for Mrs. Holliday because obviously a lot of this stems from her depression and dwindling career, and I do hope that she can find success performing again. However, the realist in me agrees that she should quit complaining and except the inevitable.
I can understand how painful it must feel to be identified with a role and a song for the majority of your career, only to see someone else come in and take that spotlight. Mrs. Holliday has enjoyed 25 years as THE person associated with "And I Am Telling You.." and to some extent,
Dreamgirls itself. She is fortunate that the show has had no real professional remountings since she played the role, which has prevented any competition. However, she should know that there is always the chance that one day someone else will also find success in the same role.
In movies, for the most part, once you play a role no one else will ever play it again. For that reason, Judy Garland IS Dorothy Gale, Vivien Leigh IS Scarlett O'Hara, and Al Pacino IS Michael Corleone. Except for an occassional remake, or prequel/sequel, these actors will forever be identified with these roles. On Broadway, things are different. Once a show closes, it does not come out on video or broadcast on TV where a certain legendary performance can be relived over and over (and yes I know there have been exceptions). The way Broadway shows survive is through granting the rights for new productions and re-inventions -- not video rentals. For years, Joel Grey was unanimously indentified as the Emcee in
Cabaret, but I bet if you ask people who are only familiar with the recent revival, they will answer Alan Cumming is the Emcee to them -- and even still I bet a lot of people only know Joel Grey as the "Wizard" in
Wicked. Of course there are Broadway performers who, even after subsequent revivals (or movie versions) of their shows, still are able to go on as the embodiment of a particular character. Regardless of the recent Matthew Broderick TV movie and the 2000 revival, Robert Preston has remained the embodiment of Harold Hill -- just as Carol Channing will always be Dolly, and Rex Harrison will also be Henry Higgins (of course two of the three also played those roles on screen).
However, with the "eternal" nature and larger audiences of films, there have been several Broadway stars who originated a role who, to the general public, are not iconic of it. Ask most people who do they think of as Maria Von Trapp and they will say Julie Andrews -- not Mary Martin; and for
My Fair Lady it will be Audrey Hepburn as Eliza. Or Chita Rivera, who originated both Anita in
West Side Story and Velma in
Chicago -- but sits behind both Rita Moreno and Catherine Zeta Jones in mainstream recognition. Although to us Broadway afficianados we will never forget the original performers, the general public will always remember who played it most recently, or who played it in the movie.
I think Jennifer Holliday is afraid that the success of the movie will forever link Jennifer Hudson's name with Effie and with "And I am Telling You.." and hers will be forgotten (except to us Broadway devotees). If the movie was "direct-to-video" or made for cable TV (like
Reefer Madness was) then I don't think she would be quite so vehement. However, with the movie looking like it is going to be a smash at the box-office and gather Oscar nominations -- she is very afraid of losing Effie for good.
It's sad for her, but she had to see it coming.
"You pile up enough tomorrows, and you'll find you are left with nothing but a lot of empty yesterdays. I don't know about you, but I'd like to make today worth remembering." --Harold Hill from The Music Man
